Sunday 31 March 2013

Art Journaling Calender Challenge - March

Oh, this is such a fun challenge but I seem to be late every month. I just finished both making the March page today as well as writing the journaling.

March is supposed to be a spring month,but it's unusual cold here in Sweden at the moment. In spring get an urge to stow away the winter decorations and decorate my home with pastel colors and also to start sowing and taking cuttings. So my March calender page is a bit wintry, a bit springlike and with lots of pastels!
And now when I did the journaling March was a month with lots of new stuff, lots of socialising and lots of flowers - just a great spring month!




 

 

Friday 29 March 2013

Happy Easter!

This easter we managed to get invited to Easter dinners/lunches three days out of four! I wanted to bring a little something and thought of buying orchids since they are appreciated in my family. But when I went to the flower shop I changed my mind. I decided to try to cut the cost down at a minimum but still make something pretty. Daffodils are Easter! Roughly counted I saved about 90 %! And I had so much fun making the pots and I think they were more apprieciated than the orchids as well!

I dressed old coffee tins up in designer paper, added some raffia, a metal embellishment and a tag. The metal embellishment is antique bronze so I painted it silver to match the tin. The sentiment inside the metal embellishment is a computer print-out. I accidentally happend to write 'Some bunny loves me', instead of you, and I didn't notice it until the next morning when I was about to finish the pot. I did not want to seem narcissistic so I had to print out another set of words!! ; )



 

MATERIAL:
STAMPS:
ORC-137 from Betrakhta (bunny)
French market: Stampers Anonymous
INKS:
Distress Ink Pad: shabby shutters
Distress Marker: shabby shutter, spun sugar
Distress Stains: shabby shutters, brushed pewter
Distress Stickles: spun sugar, picket fence
Alcohol Ink: Pearl
Grey and pink chalk
OTHER:
Designer paper from Panduro
Metal embellishment from PY Hobby
Manilla tag
Raffia
3D Crystal Glaze
Micro beads


Wednesday 27 March 2013

Coupons for Marcus!

Another friend of mine wanted coupons to give her husband on his birthday. She wanted something in red and white. The only red paper I had was a Christmas paper so I had to make some heavy stamping to hide it! I think I managed! These coupons are so fun to make!



 
 
 
 
MATERIAL:
STAMPS:
P-07191211 - barbara, Heindesign
S1834 Raindrops and Swirls - Hero Arts
INK:
Distress Ink: pumice stone
White Posca pen
Blue glitter gel pen
PAPER:
Designer paper from Panduro
OTHER:
Red Owires 3/8"
Baker's twine from Leila's General Store
Charms from PY Hobby
3D Crystal Glaze
Micro beads


Friday 22 March 2013

Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Challenge

I was so happy when I came across Tim Holtz's Tattered Floral Challenge (be sure to check out all the awesome contributions!), because I already had the die! And I knew exactely what I wanted to make! Some time ago I saw adorable flowers to put on dog collars, but the were quite expensive and even more expensive to deliver to Sweden. So I tried to crochet one, it didn't turn out very nice and it also got quite dirty. These dies were perfect to make this collar flower! I have used fabrics (made the flowers a bit more sturdy with mod podge), canvas and an old Thera-Band (a band for exercising, last picture!).
And no - she didn't like her new collar! ; )


 






MATERIAL:
DIES:
Tim Holtz - Tattered Florals

INK:
Distress Stains: broken china, shabby shutters, brushed pewter
OTHER:
Epiphany Crafts tool - EC Shape Studio Round 14
Metal Settings Round 14 Silver
3D Crystal Glaze
Micro beads
rub on letters
Mod podge
Fabric from flea market
Thera-Band
Canvas

Monday 11 March 2013

Hero Arts March 2013 Contest

For the Hero Arts March 2013 Contest I made a simple spring card for my sisters birthday.
I didn't remember the rules very well because I thought that one of the challenges was to use lace, but that was for the February contest! After I had stamped my image and added all the embellishment there was something missing, so I thought of making a lace border with my hole punch by using the different sizes of holes. I like the outcome and will definitely use it on other cards, too!




MATERIAL:
STAMP:
Hero Arts:
INK:
Faber Castell PITT Big Brush
Clear EP
Rhinestones

Friday 8 March 2013

International Women's Day

Today's International Women's Day and it's an important day. To quote Gloria Steinem, "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights". It is sad that we need to have this day. It's hard to grasp all the terrible things that happens to females around the word and it seems like this world is not becoming a better place but a worse place. I just wish we could be kind to one another. Matthew 7:12 sums it up well, "Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them". Could it be that easy?

I have not been feeling too well for a period and I have to change my way of thinking. We become what we think so it is important to think right! I wanted to make a charm with an affirmation that would help me to think right when I have bad days. I ended up a few more to some friends of mine also in need of cheering up at the moment.  And a card to go with the charm! I love that stamp and think it goes well with the affirmation "she believed so could so she did". Did some shading with a lead pencil, a technique I read about in the latest issue of Craft Stamper. A great and, for a change, cheap technique!
 
 
 
 
 
MATERIAL:
STAMP:
Prima: item #555153
INK:
Versacolor 153 ash rose, 184 misty mauve
Distress Stains: tattered rose, victorian velvet
OTHER:
Lead pencil
Epiphany Crafts tool - EC Shape Studio Round 25
Charm Settings Round 25 Silver
3D Crystal Glaze